The first race of Monochrome GT4 Australia has been run and won with the strong field putting on a show as there was plenty of entertainment up and down the field.’
Silver
Jobe Stewart has had a dream debut in the series after he and Blake Purdie secured the class victory following an entertaining climax to the race.
Behind the wheel of the Purdie Racing Audi R8 LMS EVO, Purdie and Stewart both put in decent stints during the challenging conditions to give the Audi the best chance for victory, but it was the late charge from Stewart which sealed the deal after he successfully made a pass on George Miedecke with 12 minutes to go and held on for a one-second victory.
That pass in the final stages saw Miedecke eventually cross the line in second place in the Miedecke Motorsport with Lubrimaxx Ford Mustang GT4 he shares with Blake Tracey - the duo’s third consecutive podium for the season.
Rounding out the podium was teenage sensation Jay Murray in the Slattery Auctions McElrea Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82 EVO in a stellar performance that saw him charge up the order during the 23-lap affair.
Race 1 Polesitters Aaron Cameron and Lochie Dalton in the Multispares Racing Ford Mustang GT4 ended up finishing ninth in class.
A fast start from Cameron saw him take the lead early in the race and build the gap to more than five seconds before the safety car was brought out midway through the race following a crash between the second Miedecke Motorsport with Lubrimaxx Ford Mustang GT4 of Blake Dowdall and Cooper Cutts and Jensen Shearer in the #46 Rennen Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS.
After pitting late compared to the rest of the field, Cameron’s lead evaporated and they ended up falling down the order after the stops.
Taking advantage of the pit stop window was Miedecke, who received the car from Tracey, and he did his best to hold firm at the front of the field, only for Stewart to produce a brilliant pass on the #35 Ford Mustang GT4 to claim the lead.
Producing one of the drives of the day was the final podium getter in Murray, who navigated his way through the field in both stints to secure his first podium in the category – a tremendous effort considering he qualified in 14th this morning.
Silver Am
There was a similar dramatic finish in the Silver-Am as Tony Quinn and Matthew McCutcheon took out top honours in the Game Over GR Supra EVO 2 having proved triumphant in a late battle with fellow GR Supra EVO 2 drivers Nick McBride and Dean Koutsoumidis.
Following the round of pit stops, McCutcheon had put Quinn in a commanding position for the final stint of the race, only for Koutsoumidis to make a late pass on the veteran for the lead.
Koutsoumidis couldn’t hold on though as Quinn regained the position right at the start to eventually cross the line four tenths ahead.
Rounding out the class podium was Tufflift Racing by TSM Zac Soutar and Glenn Nirwan in the McLaren Artura GT4, who finished 15 seconds behind when they eventually crossed the line four places higher than where they started.
Like the Silver Cup, there was drama in the class as polesitter Lachlan Evennett was part of early drama that saw him head back into the pits just six laps into the race - a disappointing end to the race for the #88 Camms Quarries & Concrete Racing GR Supra EVO 2.
Ekebol MPCs Tony D’Alberto also retired earlier in the Ford Mustang GT4 he shared with Jarrod Keyte.
Am Cup
In the Am Cup, Gomersall Motorsport’s Glenn Walker converted his pole position to the race victory as he was in a league of his own for much of the race.
Behind the wheel of the Ford Mustang GT4, Walker led for the whole race as he eventually crossed the chequered flag more than three seconds ahead of Method Motorsport’s Chris Lillis and Nathan Callaghan in the Porsche 718 Cayman EVO RS CS, while teammate Ryan Sorensen guided his #11 McLaren Artura GT4 to third.
While he eventually finished with a three-second win over the Method Motorsport Porsche, the race result rarely reflected the actual pace of the race as Walker was fairly untouched throughout and had led with an even bigger margin throughout the race.
However, as the race reached its climax, Lillis eventually closed the gap significantly to get within reach, however it was too little too late as Walker deservedly secured another win to keep his lead at the top of the standings.
Just one race remains in the Monochrome GT4 Australia for the LIQUI MOLY GT Festival The Bend, with the action to resume tomorrow at 9:30am ACST, which will be available to watch live and exclusively on FOX SPORTS and Kayo Sports,